"Box Office Showdown: Can Young Washington’s Unexpected Victory Resurrect the Flailing Minions & Monsters?"
Added on July 5, 2026 inFree Entertainment News, Free Movie News
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This past Fourth of July weekend turned out to be quite the fireworks display—only it was more of a fizzle than a bang for Universal and Illumination Entertainment. With the release of Minions & Monsters, the beloved franchise seems to be hanging up its yellow overalls (at least for a while). Now, if you’ve been following the astrological trends, you might’ve sensed that Mercury in retrograde was causing quite a stir—not just in our personal lives but also at the box office! It’s wild to think that many of us thought this seventh movie in the Despicable Me universe would soar past at least $60 million over the holiday, right? Yet, here we are, looking at a shocking $36.4 million haul against expectations—talk about a cosmic kick in the pants! As the dust settles, we’re left pondering whether it might be time for a break from the once-great Minions. Curious to see how other films fared this weekend? Buckle up and let’s dive in! LEARN MORE
I imagine this has been a pretty bad Fourth of July weekend for Universal and Illumination Entertainment, as we seem to be witnessing the end of one of their highest-grossing franchises, Minions.
The seventh movie in the Despicable Me universe, it was assumed by most (myself included) that it would make at least $60 million this weekend for a five-day holiday total in the $85 million range. The early box office results were strong, but it completely collapsed over the weekend, with it now revealed that Minions & Monsters (oddly, the best-reviewed entry in the series to date) tanked with just $36.4 million.
To illustrate just how bad this is, Despicable Me 4, the last movie in the franchise, made $27.2 million in a single day two years ago. Minions & Monsters’ domestic total is only $61.4 million, although given its A-minus CinemaScore, Universal is likely hoping it will show strong legs, which isn’t out of the question. That said, I think we may have to take a break from the overexposed Minions for a little while.
Number two went to Toy Story 5 with $31 million, with its 56% week-to-week decline steeper than expected. Despite the huge opening, it’s unlikely this will make anywhere close to the $652 million earned by Inside Out 2 in the summer of 2024. Its grand total is now $366 million, with a final domestic gross just shy of $500 million looking likely. Still, that’s a massive number.
Perhaps the biggest surprise this weekend was Young Washington. From Angel Studios, this historical epic grossed a sizeable $20.8 million, which is higher than Sound of Freedom‘s debut over the same holiday frame back in 2023.
However, the big question is whether it will have the same kind of legs, with Sound of Freedom eventually earning $184 million domestically. Young Washington has an A CinemaScore in its favor, so this looks like another solid win for Angel.
Meanwhile, DC’s Supergirl continued to sink like a stone, losing a staggering 74% of its audience in week two and earning only $9.6 million for a domestic total of $58 million. Audiences seem to be roundly rejecting this superhero flick, although its hold is still better than Joker: Folie à Deux, which suffered an infamous 81% second-weekend drop a couple of years ago.
Steven Spielberg’s latest, Disclosure Day, finally passed the $100 million mark this weekend, with a $6 million haul bringing its domestic total to $105 million.
Focus’ Obsession finally started to lose a little steam, falling 45% to $5.3 million and bringing its stunning domestic total to $245 million. The only reason it likely slipped this much is because it’s now available on PVOD.
The other YouTuber-made breakout, Backrooms, earned another $3.3 million for an incredible $190 million domestic total. Will it crack $200 million? The jury is still out, but clearly A24 is aiming for that, with them releasing an extended cut of the movie in theatres this weekend.
Sadly, Johnny Knoxville and the gang suffered a huge 68% decline for Jackass: Best and Last, with its domestic total reaching a disappointing $14.69 million. Maybe this really is the end of the road for the fellas.
Scary Movie continued wrapping up its run with $113 million worldwide and an impressive $106 million domestic total, while A24’s limited release, The Invite, continued to perform well, posting a terrific $28,000 per-screen average on 800 screens for an $800,000 weekend. It expands nationwide next weekend, and many believe this well-reviewed film could become a sleeper hit.
What did you watch this Fourth of July weekend? Let us know in the comments!
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